A bill under consideration in the Ohio legislature would eliminate coverage for many birth control pills from the health plans of state employees.

Republican State Representative John Becker says those types of birth control effectively amount to abortion, and he wants to eliminate all coverage for abortion in state health care plans, even in cases of rape and incest or when the life of the mother is in danger.

The only exception would be an ectopic pregnancy, when the egg is implanted in the fallopian tubes.

Eliminates IUD’s

Becker says the bill would eliminate insurance coverage for some popular inner-uterine forms of birth control.

“Yes, an I.U.D. would be prevented because those take a human life without question. Thatâ€™s what those are designed to do,” Becker says.

Becker says the bill would also eliminate other forms of birth control, like certain birth control pills, that prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in a womanâ€™s uterus.

The bottom line is you have an embryo that is created. And it does implant that human life from being implanted in the uterus and it dies.

Some do not agree

Democratic State Representative John Carney takes issue with Beckerâ€™s thinking on this subject.

“Here youâ€™ve got a representative who just lacks fundamental understanding of medical science who is pushing forward a piece of legislation that would impact many many people here in the state of Ohio, to include all state employees, to include my family, to say that you shouldnâ€™t be able to use these sorts of birth control devices because they cause abortions which is just factually incorrect,” Carney says.

Carney says thereâ€™s no need for lawmakers to give this bill serious consideration.

It demonstrates how out of touch a number of these individuals are.

If Ohio bans the insurance coverage of these birth control methods, it would violate a rule in the Affordable Care Act that requires most insurance plans to cover the full range of contraceptives at no out of pocket cost to a woman.

Becker says heâ€™s in the process of getting more information on that.

Drivers might be surprised to hear that the ordinary action of flashing their headlights on the road could be considered illegal. Now, one lawmaker wants to clear the confusion.

Seeing a driver â€œflash their brightsâ€ is not uncommon on the roads.

While this can be done out of aggravation, itâ€™s also to warn oncoming drivers of a variety of issues, such as construction or a crash. Drivers could also be warning others if law enforcementâ€™s waiting around the corner to catch speeders.

But at least one lawmaker says this act could be considered illegal.

â€œPeople have been charged with obstruction of justice,â€ says Representative John Becker (R-Cincinnati)

Becker is trying to pass a bill that makes it legal for drivers to use their high beams, whether theyâ€™re cautioning others about danger ahead or even to inform them of awaiting police officers. He adds that law enforcement should support his measure.

â€œThe police claim theyâ€™re out there on the highways with RADAR and lasers in the name of public safety to prompt people to slow downâ€”well people flashing their headlightsâ€”warning of police RADAR has the same effect so it sounds like a win-win for me,â€ says Becker.

Law enforcement groups, such as Ohioâ€™s Fraternal Order of Police, are keeping track of the legislation but havenâ€™t made any formal statements yet.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2014/04/04/ohio-lawmaker-urges-passage-of-headlight-flashing-bill/feed/1John Becker,ohio legislatureDrivers might be surprised to hear that the ordinary action of flashing their headlights on the road could be considered illegal. Now, one lawmaker wants to clear the confusion.Drivers might be surprised to hear that the ordinary action of flashing their headlights on the road could be considered illegal. Now, one lawmaker wants to clear the confusion.WOSU Newsno1:11Bill Would Allow Execution For Violent Sexual Assaulthttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2013/08/28/bill-would-allow-execution-for-violent-sexual-assault/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2013/08/28/bill-would-allow-execution-for-violent-sexual-assault/#commentsWed, 28 Aug 2013 11:56:53 +0000Andy Chowhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/?p=57251

A proposal to allow the death penalty people with multiple convictions of violent sexual assault goes against the recommendations of a task force studying Ohio's execution policies.

Thereâ€™s a proposal that would allow the state to sentence rapists to death without a murder charge.

But the idea goes against recommendations of a task force in charge of reviewing the stateâ€™s capital punishment policies.

An Ohio lawmaker wants to make violent sexual assaults punishable by death. The sponsor, Republican Representative John Becker of southwest Ohio, says he came up with the bill after hearing about the crimes of Ariel Castro, the man who kidnapped and repeatedly raped three women inside his Cleveland home.

If there was ever a sex crime that deserved the death penalty, that is it.

Becker says his proposal would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty for violent rapists who already have one sexual assault conviction. The idea is not necessarily to prevent crime or even to send a message to criminals.

“I don’t know if it would do either. You know thereâ€™s some argument that capital punishment having nothing to do with or having no impact on deterrentâ€”Iâ€™ve seen those studies and that may very well be true.

But what itâ€™s more aimed at is negotiating a plea bargain.

That’s not good enough for Alison Smith from the group Ohioans to Stop Executions.

â€œThis bill does seem to be a political statement rather than effective criminal justice reform.

I mean itâ€™s clearly unconstitutional.

Smith says capital punishment is inefficient and expensive, and she says Beckerâ€™s proposal goes against the recommendations of a task force that was put together by the Ohio Supreme Court.

Smith says the idea of expanding capital punishment to sexual assault crimes would not only waste resources but cause more harm for the victims.

â€œDo we really want to drag the victims through Ohioâ€™s lengthy death penalty process? Victims who are still very much alive and have to endure 20 to 30 years of media attention and trials and other procedures that come along with the death penalty.â€

Smith believes this proposed bill could open the door for other crimes to be suggested as punishable by death.

Becker urges that he only wants executions to be expanded for violent sexual offenders but adds that other legislators could include their opinion on the matter.

â€œThatâ€™s what the legislative process is all about: If somebody else were to propose something, then we could discuss that in the General Assembly and if we pass something, then the governor will have his chance to weigh-in on it with a signature or a veto weâ€™ll cross that bridge when we get to it.â€

The representative says about half a dozen other states already have a similar law in place.

The task force in charge of reviewing Ohioâ€™s death penalty is expected to put out a full reportâ€”possibly by the end of this year.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2013/08/28/bill-would-allow-execution-for-violent-sexual-assault/feed/1capital punishment,death penalty,executions,John Becker,ohio,Ohioans to Stop ExecutionsA proposal to allow the death penalty people with multiple convictions of violent sexual assault goes against the recommendations of a task force studying Ohio's execution policies.A proposal to allow the death penalty people with multiple convictions of violent sexual assault goes against the recommendations of a task force studying Ohio's execution policies.WOSU Newsno3:11